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INTRODUCTION
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Every blog post on this website is written for Christians. Therefore, we will not be trying to prove to readers the existence of God. Accordingly, our discussions take the existence of God as a foundational premise rather than seeking to demonstrate it. Belief in His existence is a necessary starting point for faith in Him; without that belief, Christian faith would lack its fundamental basis. We, on the other hand, not only believe in His existence but also believe that He is in complete control of everything that occurs in the heavens and the earth. He is a sovereign God that is so immensely capable that He declares the end from the beginning (Isa 46:10) and speaks things into existence (Gen 1:3, Ps 33:9). But if He created everything in this universe, then who created Him? How did He come into existence? Although Scripture does not provide sufficient information to resolve every aspect of this inquiry, we can still examine the questions while acknowledging the limits of the available information.
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Many commentators from several different websites have said that God has always existed and that He has no beginning. They use verses such as Psalm 90:2, Habakkuk 1:12 and Psalm 93:2 to support their claim. But some of the words in these verses need to be examined more closely in order to understand their original intended meanings or their full range of meanings, which English words cannot fully express. Take for example, Psalm 90:2. According to these commentators, this verse shows that God is from everlasting and that He does not have a beginning because He has always existed and will always exist. They also say that He is the uncaused Cause of all that exists, with no potential not to exist. We wish to be clear that we are not disputing that He will always exist or that He has no potential not exist. But we disagree with the claim that He has no beginning. God does have a beginning, and we will prove it to readers from Scripture. To do that, let us go through the verses that commentators often use to support their clams.
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ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY
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Gen 1:1 (NASB95) states:
(1) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
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Gen 1:1 Commentary: Commentators use Gen 1:1 to say that God was already there before creation began. Of course, God was already there. Otherwise, how could He have created the heavens and the earth? But Gen 1:1 does not say that God has no beginning, nor does it say that God is from everlasting. Gen 1:1 simply tells us that God was the One who caused the heavens and the earth to exist, but nothing was said about His being an uncaused Cause. This verse merely confirms that He existed before the heavens and the earth. We will discuss more about the heavens later.
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THE MEANING OF OLAM
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Next, let us take a look at the Hebrew word “olam.” Our research tells us that “olam” is flexible: it can mean eternity, everlasting, ancient, age or even a long duration. But although “olam” is flexible, English is not. The words “from everlasting” tell us that anything from everlasting has no beginning, whereas the words “from ancient days” simply mean “from a very long time ago.” Anything from ancient days, or from a long time ago, has a beginning. Scholars and translators make choices in the words they use and that is where the confusion starts. So which one should we use? Let us read Micah 5:2 in two versions.
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Micah 5:2 (KJV) states:
(2) But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall come forth unto me that is to be ruler of Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
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Micah 5:2 (ESV) states:
(2) But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
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Micah 5:2 (ESV) and (KJV) Commentary: In the KJV, the last part of the verse is translated as “from of old, from everlasting,” and in the ESV, it is translated as “from of old, from ancient days.” Both the KJV and the ESV translate the same Hebrew words, transliterated as “miqqedem mimei olam.” Thus, the KJV’s “from everlasting” and the ESV’s “from ancient days” are translations of the same Hebrew words, “mimei olam.” Readers should now be able to see that one translation must be less accurate than the other. This is because the words “from everlasting” certainly do not mean “from ancient days,” as they have vastly different meanings. How can “mimei olam” have different translations? What would be the most accurate translation of “mimei olam”? In our view, the KJV has mistranslated the word “olam.” We should not blame the translators because, as we pointed out earlier, the Hebrew word “olam” is flexible. And how do we know that the ESV has the better translation for this verse? Let us move back slightly from the words “mimei olam” to miqqedem.” As we can see in both the KJV and the ESV, “miqqedem” is translated as “of old.” What does “of old” mean? The words, “of old” mean “in the distant past.” So, if “miqqedem” means “of old,” then how can “mimei olam” be translated as “from everlasting?” Should it not be translated as “from ancient days”? The words “of old” are much closer in meaning to “from ancient days” than to “from everlasting.” The phrase “from everlasting” has no time limit; it extends backward in time forever. But the words “of old” and “from ancient days” convey the idea of something whose age is great but still measurable. The ruler of Israel, God Himself, existed from long ago, in ancient times. He is ancient but not ageless. God is everlasting forward in time, but not backward in time. He is everlasting into the future, but not into the past. Before we move on to discuss Psalm 90:2, we wish to point out to readers that Micah 5:2, both in the ESV and in the original Hebrew, presents a statement from God Himself. We have highlighted the words “unto me” and “for me.” By contrast, Psalm 90:2 is not a statement from God but a prayer of Moses. Thus Micah 5:2 carries a higher authority and significance that other verses such as Psalm 90:2. Let us now discuss Psalm 90:2.
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Psalm 90:2 (NASB95) states:
(2) Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
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Psalm 90:2 Commentary: In 1 Timothy 1:17, we see that God is eternal, immortal, and invisible. The Greek word for “immortal” is “aphthartos,” which means “imperishable.” God is most definitely eternal, completely self-existent, and everlasting. So the question is not whether He is everlasting or not everlasting, but whether He is from everlasting. Commentators often point to Psalm 90:2. But if we compare Psalm 90:2 with Micah 5:2 (ESV), we will see the same issue arising with the Hebrew word, olam. The phrase “from everlasting to everlasting” in Psalm 90:2 (NASB95) is me’olam ve’ad olam. As we mentioned earlier in our commentary on Micah 5:2 (ESV), the word olam can mean “everlasting,” “perpetual,” “age,” “ancient,” or even “a long duration”; its meaning is flexible. In that commentary, we also explained that God cannot be from everlasting, because He is described as being from “of old” and “from ancient days.” Let us see the various translations of the last few words of Micah 5:2.
- KJV – from of old, from everlasting.
- NASB95 – from long ago, from the days of eternity.
- ESV – from of old, from ancient days.
- RSV – from of old, from ancient days.
- NIV – from of old, from ancient times.
- YLT – are of old, from the days of antiquity.
As shown above, apart from the KJV and the NASB95, most English translations of Micah 5:2 tell us that God is from “of old”, from “ancient days,” or “ancient times.” Some might argue that there is no difference between these expressions and “from everlasting.” However, there is actually a significant difference. From everlasting denotes from absolute eternity that is immeasurable, whereas “from ancient days” or “from of old” denotes remote antiquity, which is still measurable. Is God from of old, from ancient times, or is He from of old, from everlasting? Clearly, the KJV and the NASB95 are not adequately precise in their translations of this verse. The word “old” is almost synonymous with “ancient”; that is, something ancient is very old and has a beginning. However, “old” is inconsistent with “from everlasting,” which implies no beginning at all. Therefore, it is clear as day that God is “from of old, from ancient days,” and not “from of old, from everlasting.” In our view, whenever readers encounter verses describing the origins of God, any translation that uses the words “from everlasting” must be understood as meaning “from ancient days,” “from days of antiquity,” or something similar. The Hebrew word olam in such verses should be translated as either “ancient” or “age,” but never as “everlasting.” In short, those translations that say God is from everlasting are simply wrong. Now that we have established that olam should not be translated as “everlasting” in such verses, let us look again at Psalm 90:2. The phrase me’olam ve’ad olam in Psalm 90:2 should be translated as “from age to age,” from than “from everlasting to everlasting.” Daniel 7:9 tells us that God’s title is the Ancient of Days. If He is from everlasting, then God’s title, the Ancient of Days, can be considered a misrepresentation that is both misleading and deceptive because He should be called the Ageless of Days. But God always tells the truth. God is the Ancient of Days because He is from of old – not from everlasting, but from a very long time ago. If He is ancient, then His age is measurable, even though He may not reveal it to us now. But if He is from everlasting, then He is ageless.
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Let us explain this in another way. If someone pulls out a measuring tape to measure something, but the tape continues to extend forever without stopping, is there any measurement? Clearly not. The same is true if God is from everlasting. There is simply no measurement of His age, and because of that, He should be called the Ageless of Days instead of the Ancient of Days. However, because Scripture tells us that He is the Ancient of Days, He must be from of old, from ancient days, and not from everlasting. Therefore, to say that God has always existed from eternity, extending infinitely into the past, is completely untrue. Let us examine a few more verses that present translation issues.
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Habakkuk 1:12 (KJV) states:
(12) Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgement; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.
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Habakkuk 1:12 (YLT) states:
(12) Art not Thou of old, O Jehovah, my God, my Holy One? We do not die, O Jehovah, For judgment Thou hast appointed it, And, O Rock, for reproof Thou hast founded it.
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Habakkuk 1:12 (YLT) and (KJV) Commentary: We have encountered this same problem before, and we are encountering it again here. In Habakkuk 1:12 (KJV) miqqedem is translated as “from everlasting.” Yet, in Micah 5:2 (KJV), the same Hebrew word, miqqedem is translated as “of old.” So, is miqqedem supposed to be “from everlasting” or “of old”? It appears that the KJV translators could not make up their minds, which is disappointing. As explained earlier in our discussion of Micah 5:2 (KJV), miqqedem means “of old,” not “from everlasting.” Those defending the KJV would likely argue that the translators were not trying to change the text but were expressing what they believed the phrase implied. However, such implications belong in sermons, commentaries such as this blog, or footnotes, not in the translation itself. It is not for translators to decide what the words imply; a translators job is simply to translate. Besides the KJV (referring to Habakkuk 1:12 KJV), other translations, such as the NASB, NIV, and the ESV, also render miqqedem as ‘from everlasting” rather than “of old.” The fact that more translations align with the KJV for this verse, does not mean that they are correct; it simply means that more of them are wrong. We are thankful to the Lord that at least the YLT has rendered it correctly. If readers compare Habakkuk 1:12 (YLT) and Micah 5:2 (ESV), they will see that both verses are in agreement. Let us brief discuss a few more verses.
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MORE VERSES THAT WERE INCORRECTLY TRANSLATED
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Psalm 103:17 (NASB95) states:
(17) But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children,
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Psalm 103:17 Commentary: Firstly, this psalm is not a statement from God but a psalm of David. Yes, we fully agree that all Scripture is inspired by God (2 Tim 3:16). However, surely a statement from the Lord, such as Micah 5:2, takes precedence over statements that were not spoken by the Lord, does it not? Secondly, the phrase “from everlasting to everlasting” in this phrase refers to God’s mercy and lovingkindness, not to His existence. Thirdly, the words “from everlasting” are translated from the Hebrew word me’olam. As we discussed earlier, the word olam is flexible and does not necessarily mean “everlasting.” See Psalm 103:17 (YLT) in YLT. Finally, even if God’s chosen ones who fear Him are given eternal life, the lovingkindness of the Lord will apply to them only eternally forward in time, that is, “to everlasting.” How could the lovingkindness of the Lord benefit anyone eternally backward in time, that is, from everlasting”? Therefore, in our opinion, the phrase “from everlasting to everlasting” in this verse is incorrectly translated. It should be translated as “from age to age” as in the YLT. Next, let us look at Psalm 93:2. Its translation also does not make sense.
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Psalm 93:2 (NASB95) states:
(2) Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting.
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Psalm 93:2 (YLT) states:
(2) Established is Thy throne since then, from the age Thou art.
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Psalm 93:2 Commentary: Firstly, judging from that way this psalm is written, it is easy to see that it is neither a statement from the Lord nor a psalm containing a statement from the Lord. Secondly, most English translations for this verse are incorrect because they do not make sense. The first half of the verse says that God’s throne was established “from of old,” yet the second half says that He is “from everlasting.” Are these translators saying that God began to have a throne only at some point in His existence? If so, what was God doing before His throne was established? Was He pottering around aimlessly throughout the infinite past? That cannot be. As you can see, the words “of old” are not in harmony with the words “from everlasting.” If God has always been God from eternity past, that is, infinitely backward in time, could His throne have been established only much later in His existence? Clearly, this translation needs improvement. Therefore, in our view, only the YLT accurately translates this verse. The YLT endeavors to preserve the verb tenses, word order, idioms, and repetitive patterns of the Masoretic Hebrew Text, but it can be somewhat difficult to read. As such, we recommend that readers of Scripture continue to use the NASB95 and the KJV, while referring to the YLT whenever possible, particularly when they encounter something puzzling in the translation they are reading. Next, let us discuss one final verse before we analyze the most important verse that demonstrates that God is everlasting forward in time, but not backward in time.
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Jude 1:25 (NASB95) states:
(25) to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
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Jude 1:25 (NIV) states:
(25) to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
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Jude 1:25 Commentary: Some commentators use Jude 1:25, particularly the NASB95 phrase “before all time,” to argue that God exists outside of time and has existed from eternity past. However, the wording does not necessarily support that conclusion. If the verse meant “before time existed,” it could simply have said “before time.” The presence of “all” conveys a different meaning. This becomes clear when translations are compared. The NIV reads “before all ages,” while the YLT uses the phrase “to all the ages.” Thus, “before all time” should be understood as “before all ages,” where an “age” refers to a measurable period of history defined by God’s plan. God’s existence before these ages does not, by itself, prove that He existed before time or outside of time. Time is the measurable, continuous progression of events from the past through the present and into the future. Scripture also describes God as the same “yesterday and today and forever” (Heb 13:8), language that places His existence in relation to time. Likewise, the title “Ancient of Days” (Dan 7:9) indicates great age, which is still measurable. Therefore, Jude 1:25 does not prove that God has existed from eternity past. The argument presented here is that God is everlasting only forward in time. Isaiah 43:10 will be considered next as further evidence.
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Isaiah 43:10 (NASB95) states:
(10) “You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD, “And My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me.
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Isaiah 43:10 (YLT) states:
(10) Ye are My witnesses, an affirmation of Jehovah, And My servant whom I have chosen, So that ye know and give credence to Me, And understand that I am He, Before Me there was no God formed, And after Me there is none.
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Isaiah 43:10 Commentary: Historically, Isaiah wrote chapter 43 for the Jews who would later be taken captive in Babylon, many years before the captivity actually occurred. Isaiah was speaking prophetically, offering encouragement and hope to those who would later experience national trauma. Nonetheless, chapter 43 ends with a prophesy concerning Israel’s spiritual failure: the people did not turn to God but instead burdened Him with their sins. In Isaiah 43:8-9, God challenges the nations and asks which idol could foretell the future or explain the past. Readers can find the background to this challenge in Isaiah 42. In Isaiah 43:10, Israel is appointed as God’s witnesses and servants, the ones who will testify about the only true God. In the latter part of Isaiah 43:10, God says that no God was formed before Him and that there will be none after Him. God could not have been referring to a period in Israel’s history during which Israel did not know Him, because He was the one who formed Israel (Gen 32:28). There was never a “before Me” period in Israel’s history. Moreover, the “after Me” interpretation is even more problematic, since many Israelites later followed other religions and worshipped so-called gods and idols. Therefore, God had to be referring to His own existence. Let us focus again on the latter part of Isaiah 43:10. God says that no God was formed before Him. In this interpretation, “before Him” means before His existence. It is clear from this verse that there was a time in ancient past when even God did not exist. This is evidence that God is eternal only forward in time, not backward, because even He had a beginning. In addition, the words “there was no God formed” mean that no other Gods or gods existed before Him. If no Gods existed before Yahweh, then he could not have been bought into existence by another God – whether by being begotten, formed or created. How, then, did God come into existence? Please see the following section for our speculative analysis.
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THE FORMATION OF GOD – A SPECULATIVE ANALYSIS
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This section must be called a speculative analysis because Scripture contains no record explaining the formation of God or how He came into existence. However, we believe that Scripture contains clues that can be analyzed and used to arrive at a reasonable conclusion through logical deduction. Let us now discuss why we think that God’s coming into existence in ancient times had something to do with His environment.
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Possible Environment for the Formation of God (I): Scripture tells us that God is spirit (John 4:24), so the environment in which God was formed would most likely have been the spiritual realm. Before we discuss where this spiritual realm is located, let us first look at a few verses to see what other commentators are saying. We are going to present evidence from Scripture that there is one realm not included in God’s creation. However, commentators will probably bring up Colossians 1:16 to argue that God created all things.
- Col 1:16 (NASB95) states: (16) For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things have been created through Him and for Him.
If readers read the verse carefully, they will see that the phrase “all things” in Col 1:16 refers to all things within the heavens and on the earth. This verse does not include the heavens and the earth themselves, only the things in them. Therefore, to find the creation of the heavens and the earth, we must look to the first chapter of Genesis, especially 1:1. The creation of the first heaven can be found in Gen 1:6-8, and the creation of both the first and second heavens can be found in Gen 1:14-19. But readers should notice that these verses describe what is visible to the physical eye. The first and the second heavens are heavens that can be seen.
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Rev 4:11 (NASB95) states:
(11) “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”
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Rev 10:5-6 (NASB95) states:
(5) Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven, (6) and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that there will be delay no longer,
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Possible Environment for the Formation of God (II): Generally, from the earth up to where the birds fly and clouds gather is the first heaven. Technically, we are all within the first heaven. The second heaven extends from the clouds all the way into deep outer space and beyond. So God created all things in the heavens and on the earth, and He also created the earth, the sea, and the first and second heavens. All of this can be found in Col 1:16 and the first chapter of Genesis. With this in mind, we need to ask ourselves, “Where is the third heaven mentioned by Apostle Paul in 2 Cor 12:1-4?” Why is the third heaven not included in the Genesis chapter 1 account? Of course, we could assume that the third heaven was created much earlier than the recorded history of Genesis chapter 1. However, that is merely an assumption. The fact is that there is no record of this event in Scripture. Another verse that commentators might use to argue that God created everything is Rev 4:11. Please see Rev 4:11 above. If readers take notice, the phrase “all things” in Rev 4:11 refers only to those things whose existence depends on God’s will. The “all things” in that verse obviously do not include a poem created by a poet, a robbery plan created by bank robbers, an idol created by an idol craftsman, and the like. So what does “all things” include? Please see Rev 10:5-6 above. The phrase “all things” in Rev 4:11 is clarified in Rev 10:6 as including heaven and the things in it, the earth and the things in it, the sea and the things in it. Let us single out the word “heaven” in Rev 10:5-6. We have already mentioned the three heavens in Scripture. So which one is this angel in Rev 10:5-6 referring to? If we consider this strictly from Scripture with no assumptions allowed, then the angel has to be referring to only the visible first and second heavens as found in Gen 1:6-8 and Gen 1:14-19. These are the only two heavens that Scripture explicitly states were created by God. The third heaven is not mentioned at all. Nonetheless, it is possible that some might still insist that the “heaven” in Rev 10:6 is referring to all three heavens instead of just the first and second heavens. Our response to this will require examining three verses: Psalm 113:5-6 (NASB20), Isa 66:1 and Rev 20:11.
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Psalm 113:5-6 (NASB20) states:
(5) Who is like the LORD our God, who is enthroned on high, (6) who looks far down to the heavens and the earth?
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Isaiah 66:1 (NASB95) states:
(1) Thus says the LORD, “Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest?
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Rev 20:11 (NASB95) states:
(11) Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.
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Possible Environment for the Formation of God (III): In Psalm 113:5-6 (NASB20), we read that God is enthroned on high and that He looks far down to the heavens and the earth. Where, then, is God’s throne on high? Isa 66:1 tells us that heaven is His throne. If heaven is God’s throne and Psalm 113:5-6 (NASB20) tells us that He looks far down to the heavens and the earth, then His throne must be the highest heaven. In the NIV, God stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth. And in the NKJV, God humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth. In all these translations, there are always three locations: God on high (the first location), looking at the heavens (the second location, with the heavens counted as one location) and the earth (the third location). These differences in the locations should be obvious to readers. This brings us to an important point. In Rev 20:11, we see that God is on His throne, and both earth and heaven fled away from His presence. The words translated as “heaven” in Rev 10:6 and Rev 20:11 are similar. In Greek, it is “ouranon” in Rev 10:6, and “ouranos” in Rev 20:11. Both are forms of the same word, and both are singular, with minor grammatical differences. So, if the “heaven” in Rev 10:6 is referring to all three heavens (which is denied), then the “heaven” in Rev 20:11 should also refer to all three heavens. And if Rev 20:11 refers to all three heavens, then God’s throne would be gone as well (when earth and heaven fled away). Yet this is not what Rev 20:11 tells us, because His throne still remains. Therefore the “heaven” in both Rev 20:11 and Rev 10:6 is referring only to the two heavens closest to the earth. These are the two heavens that were created by God. In the future, they will flee from God’s presence. In this context, the singular word “heaven” represents only the first and second heavens. The third heaven, where God’s great white throne is situated, is not included. To recapitulate, we have shown that when Rev 4:11 says that God created “all things,” it clearly does not include everything, especially not idols and altars of other gods and the like. Thus, we have used Rev 10:6 to clarify what “all things” mean in Rev 4:11. So when Rev 10:6 says that God created heaven and the things in it, the word “heaven” refers collectively to the first and second heavens only.
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Therefore, if Scripture can be clear and unambiguous about God’s creation of the first two heavens, there should be no reason to avoid being equally clear about the third heaven. Some might argue that God really did create the third heaven, but that its creation was simply not recorded explicitly in Scripture. If that is the case why were the first two heavens recorded so clearly in Genesis chapter 1? Why did Scripture not mention the creation of all three heavens at once? Why is there no information on the creation of the third heaven? It would have been easy for God simply to declare that He created the third heaven, just as He did for the first two heavens. But, as those of us who have been walking with Him know, He never lies. If He did not do something, He will not say that He did. While it is possible that God hid information on the creation of the third heaven from us, it is also equally possible that He did not create the third heaven at all. Let us discuss two more verses before we conclude this section regarding the possible environment for His formation.
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Isaiah 44:6 (NASB95) states:
(6) “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me.
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Nehemiah 9:6 (NASB20) states:
(6) “You alone are the LORD. You have made the heavens, the heaven of heavens with all their lights, the earth and everything that is on it, the seas and everything that is in them. You give life to all of them, and the heavenly lights bow down before You.
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Nehemiah 9:6 (NASB20) states with [navigation markers]:
(s1) “You alone are the LORD. (s2) You have made the heavens, (s3) the heaven of heavens with all their lights, (s4) the earth and everything that is on it, (s5) the seas and everything that is in them. (s6) You give life to all of them, and the heavenly lights bow down before You.
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ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY III
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CONCLUSION
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